Many people are confused about what type of cleaning products work best for cleaning tile and grout.

Choosing the appropriate type of cleaner is  the most important first step to getting your tile and grout properly cleaned.  There are basically three types of tile and grout cleaners and all have their place in cleaning and maintaining your tile and grout.

 

 

The three basic types of tile and grout cleaners are:

• Alkaline tile and grout cleaners.

•  Acidic tile and grout cleaners.

• Ph neutral tile and grout cleaners.  

To understand what type of cleaner to use you must first analyze the type of dirt and stains you need to clean.

Most types dirt, grease and grime stains are acidic in nature. 

These are the most common types of stains and they occur in kitchens, entrance ways, lobbies and bathrooms and most other places where there is tile and grout.  To clean these types of acidic stains you need an alkaline cleaning solution.  The alkaline cleaner will react with the acidic dirt grease and grime and leave the resulting slurry in suspension.  This slurry can then be extracted and then your tile and grout can be rinsed and you are left with clean tile and grout. 

You may notice that your grout may still have some stains that did not come out with the alkaline cleaner solution. 

There may still be some inorganic stains in your grout.  These inorganic stains are alkaline and some examples of these type of stains include red wine, mustard, urine, ink and food coloring.  These inorganic alkaline stains can be effectively cleaned by using an acidic cleaning solution.  The acidic cleaning solution will react with the alkaline stains and cause them to become suspended making them easy to be extracted away.  Note that you can use an acidic cleaning solution when cleaning ceramic tiles and grout but you should never use an acidic cleaner on any type of stone tiles.

The third type of cleaning solution is commonly known as a ph neutral cleaning solution. 

A ph neutral cleaning solution is best used for maintenance cleaning of your tile and grout after it has been deep cleaned.  A ph neutral cleaning solution  is preferred for daily or weekly cleanings because it will not break down any sealers that were applied to the grout or tiles.  Also a ph neutral cleaner is easy to rinse off the tile and grout and will not leave any cleaning residue on the tile or in the grout.  While a ph neutral tile and grout cleaner will not be effective for stubborn dirt, grease and grime it is the best cleaner to use for daily or weekly maintenance cleanings of your tile and grout surfaces.

 

You can see our recommended alkaline, acidic and pH neutral tile and grout cleaners on our recommended tile and grout cleaners information page here.